President Erhürman sends a letter to the European Parliament President Metsola criticising the one-sided motion on missing persons
“Adoption of this motion is one-sided and unacceptable”
President Tufan Erhürman has expressed strong criticism of the European Parliament following its adoption of a motion for the establishment of a memorial on its premises entitled “dedicated to the victims of the 1974 Turkish invasion of the Republic of Cyprus, including missing persons”.
In a letter addressed to the European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, President Erhürman underlined his “concern and deep disappointment” over the motion, passed on 22 October 2025, for the establishment of the memorial to be included in the EU General Budget for 2026.
In his letter, President Erhürman stated that the motion “ignores the complex historical realities of Cyprus by selectively incorporating only the Greek Cypriot narrative which renders this resolution a one-sided political document”.
The President also stressed in his letter that “had this resolution been a genuine attempt to establish a memorial in honour of all victims and missing persons of Cyprus, it would have included the period of 1963 to 1974, reflecting also the atrocities committed against Turkish Cypriots, and acknowledging the Turkish Cypriot missing persons dating back to 1963.”
Referring to the events of 15 July 1974, when a coup d’état was carried out by the Greek Junta with the objective of annexing Cyprus to Greece, the President's letter stated: “Türkiye had to intervene to prevent the annexation of the island with Greece. Had those who carried the motion forward acted with the intention to build bridges towards a lasting reconciliation in Cyprus, they would not have referred to the intervention Türkiye undertook in 1974, in accordance with her rights and obligations under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee, as an ‘invasion’.”
Emphasising that the resolution also contradicts the mandate of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP), established in 1981, which is tasked with locating and returning the remains of both Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot missing persons to their respective families, President Erhürman pointed out that it undermines the invaluable humanitarian work of the Committee for which the EU has long been a major financial contributor, from funds earmarked for the economic development of Turkish Cypriots.
President Erhürman stated in his letter that “this attempt by a political body to impose one side’s version of history – particularly within the context of a humanitarian tragedy of the missing persons – underscored what the Turkish Cypriots have been feeling vis-à-vis the European Union since 2004.” He added that “the adoption of a political resolution in complete disregard of the sensitivities of one side in Cyprus by a European body is unacceptable, but unfortunately not surprising… which is yet another manifestation of the repercussions of the non-representation of the Turkish Cypriot people in the European Parliament.”
President Erhürman concluded his letter by calling for the motion to be revoked and not implemented and stated that he would be “closely monitoring” developments and remained open to “constructive engagement and further dialogue on the matter.”